One of the newest editions to the store’s collection of videos is a DVD entitled “The Spirit of Asheville“. This video is a 73 minute overview of one of the state’s most popular cities. It includes amazing photography of the landscape, architecture and artwork and takes you on a virtual tour of the downtown area.
A typical soundtrack for this type of video would be what I like to call, “elevator music” but this DVD takes a different approach. The whole video is narrated by people on the streets of Asheville. The people interviewed talk about what they love about the city and what makes it special. Some of the individuals interviewed have lived in Asheville their whole lives while others are new to the community and share what it is that brought them there. Read more »
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Store is pleased to announce a new book available on our website. “When the Parkway Came” is the first-ever children’s book about the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is written by our friend and fellow blog author, Anne Mitchell Whisnant and her husband David. They hope this book will inspire us all to share our Parkway stories with our children and grandchildren for years to come. Read more about the book in this letter from authors Anne and David.
We wrote this book to share some of the joy we have had traveling and learning about the Parkway with our two young sons while Anne was researching and writing (and later speaking about) her book, Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History (University of North Carolina Press, 2006). We were surprised to find that there had never been a book on the Parkway written for children and young people. We wanted to find a way to engage, delight and help a new generation of travelers understand the Parkway’s history and commit to preserving the road. Read more »
My husband David and I are pleased to announce that we have just written and published the first-ever children’s book about the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is something we’ve had in mind for years, ever since we realized that there was virtually nothing out there about the Parkway that speaks to younger audiences who will have to become its future stewards. We’ve been actively working more than two years to bring our idea to fruition.
The book is called When the Parkway Came, and its main story is based on a 1937 letter in the National Archives that I discovered while doing research for Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History (UNC Press 2006). In the letter, an Ashe County, NC farmer writes to President Roosevelt to ask for help when he learns that the Parkway is going to come through the middle of his farm. When the Parkway Came features a fictionalized account of this family’s experience as told by the farmer’s son to his granddaughter many years later as they travel the Parkway and see where the family farm used to be. To convey the feel of the mountains in the 1930s, the coming of the Parkway, and its stunning beauty, we illustrated the story with contemporary photographs as well as historic photographs and documents. The book is appropriate for approximately ages 7 or so and up. We think it will be something that parents, grandparents, and children will enjoy reading together. Read more »
Parker the Bear, the Bear That Shares - trademarked
My earliest memory of giving for a cause was as a sixth grader when I collected nickels, dimes, and pennies to save the USS North Carolina battleship from the scrap yard. The Save Our Ship campaign was conceived by Governor Terry Sanford and led by campaign chair, Hugh Morton. Over 700,000 children participated, demonstrating one of the most marvelous aspects of this campaign — the many small, heartfelt contributions of thousands school children adding up to save something so large. Read more »
Mike and Kim Morrill of Smokey Mountain Motorcycle Rides share the journey!
On any given day on the Blue Ridge Parkway, especially during nice weather, there are often more motorcycles than there are automobiles. My wife and I are frequently talking to these folks in overlooks and after we tell them who we are and ask them if we can share any information with them, they are full of non-stop questions. This simply means they do not have the answers nor do not know where to go to find them.
One entrepreneur who I met this past weekend is making the most of this opportunity as he and his wife, Kim, have all the answers and are having fun sharing them – Mike and Kim tours between Blowing Rock and Gatlinburg. Mike is 60 or thereabout, was successful in the construction industry in Florida, sold out because he was “tired of making money” and traded it in for “a new quality of life.” He told me this weekend at the Quotations Coffee House in Brevard. “People love the opportunity to have a diverse experience which includes the ride, a tour, great food and even a raft trip down the Nantahala if you want and Mike will go with you!
No one else in western North Carolina is offering this service. Our Virginia neighbors have devoted a whole division of their tourism department to motorcycling, but North Carolina still remains asleep. The fruit is ripe!
If you are a do-it-your-selfer, there are excellent motorcycle guidebooks available. But if you enjoy the camaraderie of others, great food, stellar rides, and a personable and enthusiastic tour leader, Mike and Kim are highly recommended.
Share the Journey!
